CHIHUAHUA CONSIDERS LEGALIZING POT

Several Steps Needed Before Border State Could Change Law

CIUDAD JUAREZ, Mexico - It's ironic that in this city, home to one of
the world's most infamous drug cartels, marijuana could be legalized.
But such a change is being considered.

Marijuana has become so common throughout the border region - and
efforts to curb its impact have had such little effect - that the
administration of Chihuahua Gov. Patricio Martinez has launched a
study of the consequences of legalizing marijuana.

It remains unclear whether marijuana would be sanctioned only for
personal use or as a medical treatment, or whether it would be allowed
into the social fiber like alcohol. Moreover, the Mexican federal
government would need to approve any legalization.

"We're studying the issue of legalizing marijuana from addiction to
economics and everything in between," said Fernando Medina, spokesman
for Mr. Martinez in Juarez.

"The governor has said that despite the countless offensives launched
as part of the war against drugs, drug smuggling and drug use continue
to grow. It's an issue we really need to study."

The issue of legalizing marijuana, which set off demonstrations in
favor of legalization as far away as Mexico City, was raised during an
April meeting of the governors of Tamaulipas, Nuevo Leon, Coahuila and
Chihuahua, some of the states bordering the United States.

The results of the study, which has not been clearly defined, are
expected to be presented to the Commission of Border Governors and the
Conference of Governors in June.

A spokesman for the governor in Chihuahua City had no comment but
released statements made by Mr. Martinez to a reporter from a
newspaper in Mexico City.

"We, the border governors, have asked different institutions to study
the issue of legalizing drugs," Mr. Martinez said. "Until now, what's
been done hasn't worked because the use of drugs continues to grow,
despite the war that has been launched."

The legalization effort has received the endorsement of Mexico Sen.
Elias Moreno, president of the Commission on Health and Public
Security; and Rep. Gregorio Urias, co-coordinator of Bancada del Sol
Azteca, a banking industry trade group and a member of the Commission
on Public Accounts and Loans.

In addition, several groups have participated in the demonstrations
and are lending their support to the effort. The groups include the
Mexican Association for the Study of Cannabis; Multiforo Alicia, a
coalition of area social organizations; and the faculty of philosophy
and letters at the Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico.

The issue has yet to spawn any demonstrations in Juarez, which is
across the Rio Grande from El Paso in Chihuahua and is that state's
most populous city with about 1.5 million residents. It was home to
late drug cartel kingpin Amado Carrillo Fuentes.

Border with U.S.

Chihuahua, Mexico's largest state, has a population of about 3 million
and shares a border with the United States from near the Arizona-New
Mexico state line on the west to the Big Bend area on the east.

According to U.S. law enforcement agencies, the Juarez cartel smuggles
millions of dollars in illegal drugs through Chihuahua and across the
U.S.-Mexico border at Juarez. The drugs, marijuana among them, end up
in cities from Los Angeles to New York.

Officials from Mexico's federal police and the Chihuahua state police
refused to comment on possible decriminalization, referring questions
to the governor's office.

Marijuana, allowed in some U.S. jurisdictions for medicinal use but
otherwise illegal, is readily available along the U.S.-Mexico border.

It's prevalence prompted New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson to seek its
decriminalization.

This year, New Mexico lawmakers rejected the Johnson-backed measures
that would have legalized the medical use of marijuana, decriminalized
possession of small amounts of marijuana, and provided for treatment
instead of prison time for nonviolent first- and second-time drug offenders.

Many of the state's law enforcement organizations opposed the
governor's initiatives, arguing that they would make drug use more
pervasive and difficult to control.

U.S. border authorities have seen an increase in drug activity. In the
first seven months of fiscal 2002, which began Oct. 1, U.S. Customs
Service agents in the El Paso region seized 224,886 pounds of
marijuana. By year's end, the haul is expected to surpass last year's
total of 306,622, which would be a major leap from the 1990 total of
38,102 pounds.

"We enforce U.S. law, so what another country does is not in our
control," said Roger Maier, spokesman for the U.S. Customs Service in
El Paso.

"Legalizing marijuana would probably attract people to Juarez, but I'm
not so sure legalization in any part of Mexico would necessarily
impact our effort. The only problem I see is if it is decriminalized
and there is no limit," Mr. Maier said. "Anyone could then stockpile
it and create some issues when they try to smuggle it across to meet
demands."

DEA weighs in

Osvaldo Amado, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration spokesman in El
Paso, sees the situation differently. In fiscal year 2001, DEA agents
seized 184,000 pounds of marijuana in the El Paso region.

"If it [legalization] were to happen, the impact would be tremendous
because it would put the whole burden on us. It would be very
difficult for us," Mr. Amado said. "We just don't have the resources
to deal with something like that."

The burden also is heavy for Juarez police, who have lost the support
and confidence of the city's residents because of allegations of
police corruption and inaction.

"We don't have any real control as it is now. I can just imagine what
it would be like if it were legalized," said Officer Jose Luis
Melendez, parked in his squad car in the Mariscal, the city's red
light district.

Officer Melendez pointed to groups of teenagers cruising the back
alleys of the district. "They use it to barter for sex," he said as
several youths huddled secretively outside a dark, nondescript bar,
deeply inhaling marijuana.

"At least now they get a little scared and scatter when I approach,"
Officer Melendez said. "But if they legalize it, who knows what's
going to happen?"